Josie
11:20:12 PM Canto: November 17th, 1936. It's a cold, late night, and Josie is, as usual, the only person in the library at eleven P.M. 11:21:12 PM Canto: The radio behind the librarian's desk is blaring out some pleasantly bland big band music. 11:22:44 PM Josie: Josie eyes it with disapproval. 11:24:48 PM Canto: The library just received a shipment of books from Miskatonic University in Rhode Island, the country's leading respository of obscure and occult texts. Josie would know much of the library staff there on a first name basis through correspondence, and the librarians are often happy to send books over to Josie for translation when their own people are overworked. 11:26:03 PM Canto: It's mutually beneficial -- they get their texts translated and sent back, and Josie gets to take copious notes before many other scholars. 11:29:14 PM Josie: Josie is helpful! 11:30:51 PM Canto: The clock ticks away, and it's 11:04 pm when Josie looks up to check it. The music on the radio dissolves into static, and the few lights left on in the library dim, and then go out. 11:33:21 PM Josie: Josie mutters something not-very-nice. "Has anybody got a flashlight?" 11:33:48 PM Canto: You're alone in the library! 11:33:58 PM Josie: ... well, I don't. 11:34:25 PM Josie: Josie notes her place in her book, stands up cautiously and starts heading for the nearest door or window. 11:37:24 PM Canto: There's a door that leads outside not far from where she is -- the moonlight from outside being the main source of light as her eyes adjust to the darkness. 11:38:02 PM Josie: Josie opens the door, once she finds it. 11:40:35 PM Canto: The lights are out all over the college grounds! And there's an extremely irritating whining noise in the night air. Strangely, though the lights are out, the radio is still on. Still staticky, though as she listens to it, she starts to make out a clicking pattern. 11:43:58 PM Josie: ... what *is* that? 11:45:16 PM Josie: Josie tries to work out what it is, or what it means. 11:47:09 PM Canto: Josie's head starts to hurt with that irritating whining noise, and the clear night sky gets *very* bright. 11:47:30 PM Josie: Josie rubs her forehead and then her eyes. 11:48:46 PM Josie: ... hello? Is somebody out there? 11:49:49 PM Canto: The sky flashes, and as she looks up, she sees *something* up there. It looks like another planet, just hanging up in the sky. It's a grey rock that seems to be cracking from within. http://www.wallpaperup.com/248027/Planet_Cracked_Starlight_Stars.html 11:51:43 PM Josie: Josie stares. 11:52:38 PM Canto: There's another flash, and it's gone! The sky is back the way it was, the whining sound is gone, and the radio stops clicking. The lights go back on. 11:53:44 PM Josie: Josie blinks. 11:54:47 PM Josie: I... didn't imagine that. 11:56:53 PM Canto: A startled voice comes over the radio. "H-hello? Are we back? I-I don't know what happened, ladies and gentlemen, but we're going to pause our normal program of music to report that the entire city just experienced... something. A power surge or something knocked out the city's lights, and some here at the studio reported seeing some kind of... phenomenon in the night sky. Stay tuned for more updates as they become available. For now, back to the music..." 11:57:55 PM Josie: ... at the studio. 11:58:02 PM Canto: And the radio starts playing that big band music again. 11:58:48 PM Josie: Josie puts her things away and heads for the radio studio! 11:59:09 PM Canto: It's about 11:05 pm right now. 12:00:43 AM Josie: Josie still does, though she's a little worried about being out and about on her own at this hour of the night. She does have a car. 12:04:10 AM Canto: Okay! She heads out to her car. She runs into one of the groundskeepers, an older fellow named Frank, staring up at the sky. 12:04:24 AM Josie: Mr. Frank! What did you see? 12:05:17 AM Canto: Frank: Oh. I expect it's time for Judgement Day, Miss Black. 12:06:13 AM Josie: Josie normally corrects people with *Dr.* Black, but she's always liked Frank and lets him get away with "Miss." 12:06:30 AM Canto: Frank: I saw Hell, up there, hangin' in the sky. Then it was gone. 12:07:46 AM Josie: ... not a round ball being burned from the inside? 12:08:41 AM Canto: Frank: Well, that's what it looked like, right? Not what I expected, but what else could it be? 12:09:36 AM Josie: I don't think it was Hell, Mr. Frank. 12:10:18 AM Canto: Frank: Huh. What do you think it was, Miss Black? 12:11:13 AM Josie: ... I'm not sure. 12:11:19 AM Josie: But I doubt it was that. 12:11:44 AM Canto: Frank: Well, I'd say my prayers just in case. 12:12:59 AM Josie: That never hurts. 12:13:29 AM Canto: Frank: Well. You watch that the dead don't start rising. 12:15:13 AM Josie: ... I'm sure they won't, Mr. Frank. 12:16:13 AM Canto: Frank nods. "You need a walk to your car, Miss?" 12:16:41 AM Josie: ... yes. Thank you, that's very kind of you. 12:17:15 AM Canto: He walks her to her car! 12:17:40 AM Josie: Josie thanks him, graciously, and steps in, starting it and heading for the radio studio! 12:18:24 AM Canto: She heads uptown to the radio station. 12:19:43 AM Josie: Josie does! 12:20:31 AM Canto: EVerything looks pretty normal, though she does see a person or two staring up at the sky warily. 12:22:32 AM Canto: Halfway to the station, she sees someone just standing in the middle of the street. He makes no move to step out of the way of her car. 12:22:47 AM Josie: Josie tries to brake! 12:24:47 AM Canto: Her car doesn't brake in time and the front of the car goes right through him, until he disappears. 12:25:29 AM Josie: Josie gasps. 12:26:37 AM Canto: Yep! He's all gone. 12:28:12 AM Josie: Josie crosses herself, and says the Lord's prayer, still a bit dumbfounded. Then she'll pull over and look for anything on the ground. 12:28:51 AM Canto: Not on the ground, but there's a bit of clear, bluish goo on her front fender. 12:30:00 AM Josie: Josie touches it. 12:30:16 AM Canto: It's cold to the touch and slightly sticky. 12:31:43 AM Josie: Josie uses a handkerchief to wipe it off, and pockets the hanky. 12:32:05 AM Canto: Does she continue onto the radio station? 12:33:14 AM Josie: Josie does! 10:57:35 PM Canto: I believe Josie was en route to the radio station. 10:59:18 PM Josie: Josie was! 11:00:00 PM Canto: She finds it. 11:00:50 PM Josie: Josie tries to go inside. 11:01:56 PM Canto: It's almost midnight at this point, but the building is unlocked. The station is up on the sixth floor, according to the directory. 11:03:54 PM Josie: Josie heads up there. There's always someone at the radio station, right? 11:05:26 PM Canto: Usually they sign off at two in the morning or so. You'll have to take the stairs, though. 11:05:43 PM Josie: Josie takes the stairs, frowning a bit. 11:11:15 PM Canto: On floor three, there's a man standing in the stairwell, leaning against a wall by the door. An older guy, maybe mid fortires. A wall of a man, with olive skin and white hair, and scars crisscrossing his face. He speaks with a mediterranean accent. "Wormwood. You saw it, didn't you?" 11:12:13 PM Josie: ... that's *Dr.* Black. I don't know any wormwoods. Unless you're talking about bitterness or... symbology or something. 11:13:08 PM Canto: ((He didn't say your name at all!)) 11:14:12 PM Josie: ((Nope, she thought he thought her name was Wormwood.)) 11:14:21 PM Canto: ((Ohhh! Duh. I'm dumb.)) 11:15:41 PM Canto: "'Wormwood.' Absinthos. 'The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter." He reaches into his coat and pulls out a cigarette, offering one to you. 11:16:58 PM Josie: Josie declines with a polite wave of her hand. "You think it's the end of the world too, then." 11:18:43 PM Canto: "A lot of folk do. Dont' know if I do, yet. St. John was a pretty unreliable narrator, when you get right to it. But 'Wormwood' is as good a name for what was hanging in the sky as anything, don't you think?" 11:18:58 PM Josie: I prefer Albert. 11:19:58 PM Canto: He puts the cigarette in his mouth and holds up a finger. A small flame appears at the tip of his finger and he lights the cigarette. "Heh. I like that. Dr. Black, I'm here to present you with an opportunity." 11:21:18 PM Josie: No, you're not, you're in a radio station. 11:21:27 PM Josie: ... nice trick. 11:24:42 PM Canto: "Small magics. My superiors don't like them, but they're not here, are they? I am Father Andrea Vittori. The coming days will be hard for you, Dr. Black. Wormwood's-- or Albert's -- manifestation will be accompanied by all manner of paranormal strangeness, and forces will begin to converge on you." He eyes you. 11:26:55 PM Josie: *Me*? Why me? 11:27:02 PM Canto: He reaches into his jacket and hands you a business card. "You will have dreams. Very vivid dreams. Almost lucid. Your powers will begin to grow. You will see people who aren't there, who are long dead." The business card is very nice, embossed with a stylized cross and heraldry you don't recognize off the bat, his name, and a phone number. 11:27:04 PM Josie: Josie crosses herself. 11:27:24 PM Josie: Seeing dead people is not something I can do. 11:27:32 PM Josie: Josie takes the card, mostly out of reflex. 11:29:58 PM Canto: "It will be. We can offer you much, Dr. Black. Purpose. Protection. Access to impressive occult libraries. Sanctified magical instruction." 11:30:30 PM Josie: "We"? 11:30:45 PM Josie: ... how exactly did you know I'd be here? 11:32:35 PM Canto: He smiles. "Magic, Dr. Black." He pulls out one of those metal tubes and puts his cigarette in there, snuffing it out and putting it in his pocket. "We are the Order of St. George. We don't like the limelight." 11:32:51 PM Josie: Josie racks her brains for any mention of them she might recall. 11:33:16 PM Canto: Not off hand. There are lots of Orders of St. X. 11:34:01 PM Canto: "Call us, Dr. Black. Or don't. The decision is yours. But others will come calling on you." 11:34:45 PM Josie: Who else? 11:36:04 PM Canto: "Vampires. Demons. Devils. Eldritch abominations. The normal range of exploitive evil entities." 11:36:34 PM Josie: What exactly do you gain by teaching me? 11:38:00 PM Canto: He smiles. His teeth are very white. "No one wins the war against evil on their own, Dr. Black. We are an army of light." 11:39:31 PM Josie: You don't look like a soldier, Father. 11:40:48 PM Canto: He smiles. "Not everyone in an army is a soldier." 11:42:48 PM Josie: And what are you? 11:44:14 PM Canto: Vittori: I do whatever needs doing. In this case, it was finding you and giving you that card. My duty in this regard is discharged. I wish you a pleasant evening, Dr. Black. 11:45:06 PM Josie: ... how did you do that, with the fire? 11:46:00 PM Canto: Vittori: I have a talent with magical flame. It's always come easy to me. 11:46:46 PM Josie: A *firestarter.* That's amazing, have you ever considered any academic study? 11:47:35 PM Canto: Vittori: I have helped many of our scholars. You would *love* our libraries, Dr. Black. 11:47:56 PM Canto: Vittori: And you would be a very worthy addition to our scholars' ranks. 11:48:27 PM Josie: I'm not a soldier either. ... when should I call them? 11:49:51 PM Canto: Vittori: Whenever you wish. They'll be expecting your call. 11:51:42 PM Josie: All right. Thank you, Father. 11:55:08 PM Canto: He leaves! 11:55:49 PM Josie: Josie immediately goes to ask them if they will let her use a phone. 11:56:31 PM Canto: There was a payphone down on the ground floor. 11:58:01 PM Josie: Josie heads downstairs! 11:59:00 PM Canto: There's currently a translucent person using the payphone. 11:59:35 PM Josie: ... excuse me. 11:59:56 PM Canto: The faintly glowing, see-through lady doesn't respond. 12:00:39 AM Josie: ... excuse me? 12:00:43 AM Josie: Josie tries to touch her. 12:01:41 AM Canto: Your hand goes through her! She's very cold. She swivels her head around toward you (Almost 120 degrees) and her mouth opens very, very wide. 12:02:13 AM Josie: ... excuse me? 12:02:18 AM Josie: Josie crosses herself, though. 12:02:47 AM Canto: She screeches and kinda... explodes into ectoplasm. 12:03:28 AM Josie: Josie blinks. Is she covered with blue goo? 12:03:42 AM Canto: Yep. 12:03:45 AM Canto: She's been slimed. 12:04:19 AM Josie: Ugh! 12:04:31 AM Josie: Josie shudders, but digs for a nickel to make a call! Or however much it is. 12:05:48 AM Canto: The phone is also slimed. When you pick it up, you hear a raspy voice on the other end. "Don't trussssst them. All smilesss and crosssess above the table and bladessss under...." 12:06:09 AM Josie: I doubt you're any better. 12:08:31 AM Canto: Voice: Nope! We're dead. Killed by the Order of St. George. Witches and warlocks and hereticssss all, killed well after the Inquisssssition packed up their thumbscrewsss and needles and torchesssss. 12:08:58 AM Josie: Well then. Please get off the line so I can make a phone call. 12:09:57 AM Canto: Voice: It's your auto-da-fé. Don't ssay we didn't warn ya! 12:10:06 AM Canto: And then there's a dial tone. 12:11:07 AM Josie: Hmph. 12:11:12 AM Josie: Josie makes the call! 12:12:29 AM | Edited 12:13:13 AM Canto: It rings a couple of times, and a pleasant sounding woman with an accent -- maybe German? -- picks up. "Can I help you?" 12:12:45 AM Josie: Yes. This is Dr. Josie Black. 12:13:11 AM Josie: Father Vittori gave me this number. 12:14:09 AM Canto: You hear the rustling of pages on the other end of the line. "Ah, yes, Dr. Black. We were expecting your call. Though not quite so soon." 12:14:29 AM Josie: Why wait? 12:16:32 AM Canto: Woman: Why indeed, Dr. Black. You are a Christian, are you not? 12:16:54 AM Josie: I'm Catholic. 12:17:23 AM | Edited 12:17:48 AM Canto: Woman: Baptised and Confirmed? 12:17:46 AM Josie: Yes. 12:20:07 AM Canto: Woman: Good. That makes things much easier. We will send you you a packet within the next week containing instructions on the next steps you'll need to take to join the Order. You may wish to put in for a sabbatical from the University -- if all goes well with your induction, you should be able to return there within a couple of months. 12:21:53 AM Josie: How does that make things easier? 12:23:02 AM Canto: Woman: We are a Catholic organization, Dr. Black. An individual who wants to join our ranks must convert. But as you are Catholic, you don't need to. 12:24:09 AM Josie: Oh, I see. ... I'm not going to be required to take vows, am I? 12:26:22 AM Canto: Woman: Yes, I'm afraid so. All of our members are Brothers and Sisters. Special allowances can be made for those that are already married, of course. 12:27:03 AM Josie: ... is there a period of time for initiates? 12:28:49 AM Josie: Before taking final vows? 12:29:52 AM Canto: Woman: Oh, yes. We are a very structured organization. After you're inducted, you aren't required to take your vows for up to a year. 12:31:06 AM Josie: Oh, good. ... I'd need to pray about it. 12:31:43 AM Canto: Woman: Of course. As I said, we'll send you the packet within the week. 12:31:58 AM Josie: Thank you. 12:32:03 AM Josie: ... what should I do about the ghosts? 12:32:43 AM Canto: Woman: Ghosts? 12:33:42 AM Josie: Yes, the dead people wandering around. 12:34:00 AM Canto: Woman: The only power they have over you is the power you give them, Dr. Black. Ignore them. Or, at the very least, let them go on about their business without interacting. 12:34:17 AM Josie: ... all right. Thank you, ma'am. 12:35:24 AM Canto: Woman: Have a pleasant evening. 12:35:26 AM Canto: She hangs up! 12:37:16 AM Josie: Josie does too, and starts heading home! To shower the blue goop off. >.< 12:37:37 AM Canto: Yeah. It's ectoplasm. It sucks. But it washes off. 12:39:26 AM Canto: The rest of her evening is pretty uneventful! No more ghosts. 12:39:51 AM Josie: Josie washes up and has some tea with milk in it to try and calm down. And then does pray a bit. 12:40:17 AM Canto: Okay! 12:40:39 AM Canto: She has some serious dreams. Like, very clear, almost lucid. Very linear, too. PM Canto: In it, Josie seems to be a priestess in ancient Egypt. Powerful and feared, and charged with the protection of a holy place, a door, a window to the Duat. PM Canto: One day, invaders come. From far to the north, their skin is fairer than any you've ever seen, so pale that the superstitious among your people call them the Ghost Men. PM Josie: Josie likes being a revered and terrifying priestess, actually. PM Canto: But they don't come as an army, they come as raiders, searching for something specific, and as they show up on your temple doorstep, you know what they're looking for. PM Josie: Josie will try to repel them with anything she has! Minions, magic, a pointy stick! PM Canto: You use all three, but they're too strong, and their shaman's foreign magic eventually overwhelms yours, and you die. Then you wake up in a sweat! PM Josie: Josie sits up, shivering. PM Canto: Honestly, it's not the first time you've had such dreams. But the first time that it was so clear. Usually they're very muddied and confused, like normal dreams, and given your area of expertise, the subject matter never really struck you as odd. PM Josie: Josie writes it all down. PM Canto: You're not sure where in the kingdom it was-- judging from the architecture, it was somewhere around the time of Ptolemy. You're less sure about the invaders. They were like... proto-vikings. PM Canto: But, you know, like 1200 years early. PM Josie: Josie writes it down and then checks what time it is. PM Canto: Six in the mornin! PM Josie: Ugh. PM Josie: Josie hates that, and gets up and washes up. PM Josie: Josie then gets ready to go to work! PM Canto: The next morning is pretty uneventful. THere's a lot of talk about what happened last night, with most scientists saying that it was some up-till-now unknown phenomenon, some kind of reflection caused by light and gravity. PM Josie: Josie isn't sure she buys that. PM Canto: Still, life goes on as normal, your normal workload is there, though you expect you'll be reading about the phenomenon in your own circles pretty soon. PM Josie: Josie works as usual, then. PM Canto: Nothing she wants to research? PM Josie: Josie will look up the Egyptian paraphernalia and the possibilities for the weird planet. PM Canto: You don't find anything about the planet, not in the books you have at hand. But you can figure out the location of the temple in your dream. It's covered by desert now, of course. PM Josie: Josie considers briefly mounting an expedition. Then she decides she's not a Russian countess and can't afford it, and keeps working on the other stuff! PM Josie: Josie looks up the Order, too. PM Canto: You do find some info on them. The Order of St. George was a group said to be formed by the Saint himself. In some more obscure lore, they're credited with some pretty impressive feats -- they killed an ogre, destroyed an army of witches, and banished the King of the Fae when he tried to take over France. They were officially dissolved just before the Inquisition,t hough. PM Josie: Josie tries to track them after that. PM Canto: They show up in scattered accounts, but don't seem to be officially aligned with the Catholic church after that point. PM Josie: Josie frowns. She's certainly *not* going to join if they're not okay by the pope. PM Canto: Yep. Offically no longer sanctioned. Maybe unofficially, but I don't know if that's better! PM Josie: Hmph. PM Josie: Josie decides to give them short shrift next time she sees one! PM Canto: Your research ends up taking a few days. You get home from work one day, and find a letter! PM Josie: Josie examines it, and then opens it! PM Canto: It's a letter, and an airline ticket! PM Canto: Doctor Black, It has come to my attention that you are a woman with an extraordinary power. Given the recent phenomenon, that power might have caught the attention of others, who promise you gifts and rewards. I warn you to be wary of those offering you extraordinary gifts -- such gifts always come at a high price. I do not know where your ability comes from. I cannot promise you answers, but I can promise you the ability to learn more about your power without it being exploited by forces who do not have humanity's best interests at heart. I would like to invite you to come and see me personally. Enclosed is an airline ticket that will bring you to my airfield in Los Angeles, where we can speak in person. I know I said be wary of gifts. Do not consider this a gift, consider it a job interview. The job in question will provide you with money, important work, and access to libraries you can only imagine. Howard Hughes." PM Canto: The stationary says 'from the desk of Howard Hughes' and everything. PM Josie: Josie frowns. PM Josie: You say exactly the same thing as the others. That's not a recommendation in your favor, you know. PM Josie: ((What year is it again?)) PM Canto: 1936. PM Canto: And the letter doesn't reply. PM Josie: ... I like your movies, though. Well, all right. PM Josie: Josie checks when the ticket is for. PM Canto: The weekend. You'd have to leave on Saturday to be there on Sunday, since you're in New York. PM Josie: Josie decides she'll do it. PM Josie: Josie would like to meet Hughes, really. PM | Edited 10:20:52 PM Canto: The ticket is, in fact, round trip. So there's that, at least. PM Josie: Josie writes him back noting she accepts the offer and that she looks forward to meeting him. As she does.